ESCI 3891 -- Changes

Thu Nov 7 10:11:05 2013

Effective Term: New:  1143 - Spring 2014
Old:  1119 - Fall 2011
College: New:  TIOT - College of Science and Engineering
Old:  TIOT - Institute of Technology
Max-Min Credits
for Course:
New:  2.0 to 2.0 credit(s)
Old:  1.0 to 1.0 credit(s)
Instructor
Contact Hours:
New:  2.0 hours per week
Old:  1.0 hours per week
Academic
Progress Units:
New:  Not allowed to bypass limits.
2.0 credit(s)
Old:  Not allowed to bypass limits.
1.0 credit(s)
Financial Aid
Progress Units:
New:  Not allowed to bypass limits.
2.0 credit(s)
Old:  Not allowed to bypass limits.
1.0 credit(s)
Repetition of
Course:
New:   Repetition not allowed.
Old:   Repetition not allowed.
Proposal Changes: New:  Change in credit reflecting additional workload
Old:  New course requirement for majors
Faculty
Sponsor Name:
New:  Annia Fayon
Old:  David Fox
Faculty
Sponsor E-mail Address:
New:  afayon@umn.edu
Old:  dlfox@umn.edu
Student Learning Outcomes: * Student in the course:

- Can identify, define, and solve problems

New:

Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome.

Earth science fieldwork is conducted primarily to address specific questions about geologic processes. Therefore, at the very heart of fieldwork is learning how to identify a specific problem, plan the work necessary to address the problem, and interpret and analyze data collected to solve the problem. By meeting the course objectives listed above, you will learn which problems can be solved in the field and how to identify and solve them. Your work will be assessed weekly for completeness and accuracy. Evidence of development in your thought processes and problem solving skills will be assessed through evaluation of your field book. Your success in this course will further manifest itself as you complete your field camp courses.

How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated.

Earth science fieldwork is conducted primarily to address specific questions about geologic processes. Therefore, at the very heart of fieldwork is learning how to identify a specific problem, plan the work necessary to address the problem, and interpret and analyze data collected to solve the problem. By meeting the course objectives listed above, you will learn which problems can be solved in the field and how to identify and solve them. Your work will be assessed weekly for completeness and accuracy. Evidence of development in your thought processes and problem solving skills will be assessed through evaluation of your field book. Your success in this course will further manifest itself as you complete your field camp courses.

Old: unselected


- Have mastered a body of knowledge and a mode of inquiry

New:

Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome.

Earth science fieldwork is conducted primarily to address specific questions about geologic processes. Therefore, at the very heart of fieldwork is learning how to identify a specific problem, plan the work necessary to address the problem, and interpret and analyze data collected to solve the problem. By meeting the course objectives listed above, you will learn which problems can be solved in the field and how to identify and solve them. Your work will be assessed weekly for completeness and accuracy. Evidence of development in your thought processes and problem solving skills will be assessed through evaluation of your field book. Your success in this course will further manifest itself as you complete your field camp courses.

How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated.

Earth science fieldwork is conducted primarily to address specific questions about geologic processes. Therefore, at the very heart of fieldwork is learning how to identify a specific problem, plan the work necessary to address the problem, and interpret and analyze data collected to solve the problem. By meeting the course objectives listed above, you will learn which problems can be solved in the field and how to identify and solve them. Your work will be assessed weekly for completeness and accuracy. Evidence of development in your thought processes and problem solving skills will be assessed through evaluation of your field book. Your success in this course will further manifest itself as you complete your field camp courses.

Old: unselected


- Can communicate effectively

New:

Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome.

Earth science fieldwork is conducted primarily to address specific questions about geologic processes. Therefore, at the very heart of fieldwork is learning how to identify a specific problem, plan the work necessary to address the problem, and interpret and analyze data collected to solve the problem. By meeting the course objectives listed above, you will learn which problems can be solved in the field and how to identify and solve them. Your work will be assessed weekly for completeness and accuracy. Evidence of development in your thought processes and problem solving skills will be assessed through evaluation of your field book. Your success in this course will further manifest itself as you complete your field camp courses.

How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated.

Earth science fieldwork is conducted primarily to address specific questions about geologic processes. Therefore, at the very heart of fieldwork is learning how to identify a specific problem, plan the work necessary to address the problem, and interpret and analyze data collected to solve the problem. By meeting the course objectives listed above, you will learn which problems can be solved in the field and how to identify and solve them. Your work will be assessed weekly for completeness and accuracy. Evidence of development in your thought processes and problem solving skills will be assessed through evaluation of your field book. Your success in this course will further manifest itself as you complete your field camp courses.

Old: unselected


Provisional
Syllabus:
Please provide a provisional syllabus for new courses and courses in which changes in content and/or description and/or credits are proposed that include the following information: course goals and description; format/structure of the course (proposed number of instructor contact hours per week, student workload effort per week, etc.); topics to be covered; scope and nature of assigned readings (texts, authors, frequency, amount per week); required course assignments; nature of any student projects; and how students will be evaluated.

The University policy on credits is found under Section 4A of "Standards for Semester Conversion" at http://www.policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/STUDENTWORK.html . Provisional course syllabus information will be retained in this system until new syllabus information is entered with the next major course modification, This provisional course syllabus information may not correspond to the course as offered in a particular semester.

New:  ESCI 3891: Field Methods, 2 credits
LEC 14:30-15:20 MW, Rapson 54
Instructor: Annia Fayon, 200F Pillsbury Hall
office hours: Th 2:15-3:30 PM, open door policy, and by appointment
afayon@umn.edu



Introduction and objectives
Fieldwork is one of the more basic skills for Earth scientists regardless of sub-discipline. We can work in laboratories and conduct experiments on geologic processes, but ultimately results need to be understood in the context of observed field relationships ⿿ what are the rocks telling us? Types of fieldwork vary greatly among the various sub-disciplines of Earth science, but the basic skills required to be successful in the field are common throughout. When working in the field, you need to be able to navigate to specific locations, collect, analyze, and interpret data for a given project, and communicate results effectively to co-workers and more importantly, project managers. In addition, what fieldwork teaches you is how to visualize in 3 dimensions. Field geologists will use maps (2-dimensional representation of data) to project features at depth, into the third dimension. This skill is useful to answer questions regarding Earth⿿s structure, locate faults, locate mineral seems, understand groundwater flow, just to name a few applications.

While certain assignments are tailored specifically to prepare you for field camps offered through the University of Minnesota Department of Earth Sciences (ESCI 3911, Introductory Field Geology; ESCI 4911, Advanced Field Geology; ESCI 4971, Hydrogeology Field Course), the overall objective is to introduce you to field methods in general. By the end of the semester, students who successfully complete the workshop will be able to:

⿢        read topographic maps at different scales, locate features on maps using various coordinate systems, and use maps to successfully navigate;
⿢        read and understand geologic maps;
⿢        visualize the orientation of planes and lines in space;
⿢        measure the orientation of planes and lines using a brunton compass;
⿢        recognize simple geologic structures (anticlines, synclines, faults) in map view and cross-section;
⿢        draw topographic profiles and geologic cross-sections;
⿢        maintain a complete, legible field notebook;
⿢        communicate observations effectively both orally and in writing

These objectives will be achieved through hands-on in-class activities during our regularly scheduled class time, weekly homework assignments, and a required full-day field trip at the end of the semester (this trip usually runs concurrently with the petrology course). There is no required text for this class, but a few references will be kept on reserve in Pillsbury Hall⿿s reading room. I will refer to these books throughout the semester.

Through the course objectives you will also meet the following University Student Learning Outcomes:
⿢        Can identify, define, and solve problems
⿢        Have mastered a body of knowledge and a mode of inquiry
⿢        Can communicate effectively

Expectations:
This field methods course is 2 credits, which translates into 6 hours of work per week. So beyond the class meeting time, you will be expected to work up to 4 hours on field methods problems. The class format will involve lecture and ⿿lab⿿. The tentative plan is to introduce a new topic on Mondays and assign preliminary work based on Monday⿿s class discussion. This work will be due on Wednesdays. Once we have reviewed the basics on Wednesdays, you will be assigned a longer problem to be completed by the following Monday. The point is to keep you engaged in the work on an almost daily basis. It is only by consistent practice that you will gain confidence field techniques.

Grading:
You will be evaluated by a combination of completion of work, effort, accuracy, and attitude.  The expectation is that you will attend all class meetings, turn in all of the assignments in their entirety, and do so in a way that demonstrates you put effort into understanding the assignment. Accuracy and correctness of your work will improve your grade proportionately. Failure to turn in or complete assignments in a way that demonstrates your effort and seriousness will reduce your grade proportionately.

Over the course of the semester, you will complete 12 assignments, maintain a field book, and complete a final project/test. The breakdown of the course grade is:

Assignments:         12 @ 25 per assignment        300 points (~67% of final grade)
Field book        1 @ 50 points        50 points (~11% of final grade)
Final project/test        1 @ 100 points        100 points (~ 22% of final grade)

TOTAL:        450 points

As you can see, the weekly assignments comprise the majority of the class points. Therefore in order to earn a passing grade, it is absolutely necessary that you complete all assignments.

Schedule:
The tentative schedule will be available on the first day of class.


Old:  Geo 3891: Field Methods
section 002        Wed 2:30-3:20
section 003        Wed 3:35-4:25
105 Pillsbury    1 cr

David Fox        2C Pillsbury Hall
office hours: open door policy and by appointment
612-624-6361        dlfox@umn.edu

The course is intended to prepare you primarily for Geo 3911 (Introductory Field Geology), but all of the topics will be applicable to Geo 4911 (Advanced Field Geology) and we will have one exercise that is directly related to techniques and material in Geo 4971 (Hydrogeology Field Course).  At the conclusion of this course, you will have learned essentially all of the techniques we will use this summer during Geo 3911 and will only need to continue practicing them in the field.  The sequence of topics for each week is below.

Class schedule
Date        Topic
23 Jan        Intro, equipment, plans for summer, other field courses
30 Jan        Topographic maps
6 Feb        Topographic maps
13 Feb        Field relations, folds and faults
20 Feb        Field relations, folds and faults
27 Feb        Brunton compass, strike and dip, bearings
5 Mar        Making geological maps, start long term map exercise
12 Mar        Stereonets
19 Mar        Spring break (New Zealand or Peru?)
26 Mar        Global Positioning System, formations assigned
2 Apr        Measuring groundwater flow with three point problems
9 Apr        Stratigraphic columns
16 Apr        Cross sections
23 Apr        Rock identification/description
30 Apr        Field description of rocks along Mississippi River
7 May        test

Grading
Grades will be based on a combination of completion of work, effort, accuracy, attitude, and the final test.  The expectation is that you will turn in all of the assignments, complete them entirely, and do so in a way that demonstrates you put effort into understanding the assignment and completing it accurately.  Accuracy and correctness of your work will improve your grade proportionately.  Failure to turn in or complete assignments in a way that demonstrates your effort and seriousness will reduce your grade proportionately.  Meeting the expectations of the course will result in a letter grade of B.

We will have two longer-term projects over the course of the semester.  One will begin 7 March and will consist of a mock geological mapping exercise with new data available each week for you to collect and add to your map.  This exercise will combine what you have learned about rock identification, topographic maps, measuring strike and dip, and making geological maps.  The second long term project is to develop a complete report on the geology of one of the 11 primary mapping units that we will use this summer in Montana.  Details of this assignment, which will be library based, will be discussed on 26 March, the first meeting after spring break.

We will also have a final test on the last day of class (7 May) that will cover all of the skills learned over the semester.

Assignment        Points
Field equipment for class (see handout)        5
Topographic map exercise        10
Folds and faults worksheet        10
Brunton compass/GPS exercise        20
Three point problems        10
Stereonet exercise        10
Stratigraphic column        10
Cross section exercises        10
Formation reports        10
Rock identification worksheet        10
Long term mapping exercise        15
Final test        30
        150

Geo 3911: Preliminary schedule
Leave Pillsbury Hall:        7:30 AM, 9 June
Return Pillsbury Hall:        6:00 PM, 2 July

Van drivers are required to complete a 2-hour driver training session before driving a 15-passenger van.  Training sessions take place at Fleet Services, 901 29th Avenue SE, on the second Wednesday of each month from 3-5 p.m.  Class size is limited.  Contact Renee Shepherd to register for training: sheph038@umn.edu or 612-625-1083.  More info here: http://www1.umn.edu/fleetsrv/tra15date.html.

Van drivers are also required to take the defensive driving course, also at Fleet Services on the dates below. Contact Renee Shepherd to register for training: sheph038@umn.edu or 612-625-1083.  More info here: http://www1.umn.edu/fleetsrv/tra4date.html.

I can give you a departmental accounting number to cover the course fee for driver training.